The calendar has moved into November and Conference USA begins week ten of football this Saturday. The seven game schedule starts with a pair of non-conference games before two conference games in the afternoon and a pair of league matchups at night. Twelve of the league’s schools are slated to be in action.
No. 15 Marshall (5-0, 3-0 in C-USA) steps out of league play to host a Massachusetts team (0-1) that opened its abbreviated season of play two weeks ago (1:30 pm CT on ESPN+). The Thundering Herd ranks in the top five nationally in scoring defense (9.4 ppg), rushing defense (72.0 ypg), and total defense (265.0 ypg).
Southern Miss (1-5, 1-1 in C-USA) is also facing a non-conference opponent at home on Saturday, as North Alabama comes to Hattiesburg (2 pm CT on ESPN3). Golden Eagles sophomores Hayes Maples and Malik Shorts have been making plays on defense, ranking fifth and sixth in C-USA, respectively in tackles per game at 9.3 and 9.2.
Charlotte (2-3, 1-1 in C-USA) travels to Middle Tennessee (2-5, 2-3 in C-USA) in a matchup of productive quarterbacks (2:30 pm CT on ESPN+). 49ers junior Chris Reynolds is averaging 220.0 yards per game through the air and has thrown six touchdowns, while Blue Raiders junior Asher O’Hara tops C-USA in total offense at 283.6 yards per contest.
UTSA (4-4, 2-2 in C-USA) remains on the road for the second straight week as the Roadrunners make the short trip to Houston to face Rice (1-1, 1-1 in C-USA) at 2:30 pm CT (ESPN3). UTSA’s defense is tied for eighth in the FBS with eight interceptions and will be matched up against Rice graduate transfer QB Mike Collins, who has thrown eight touchdown passes in his first two games in an Owls uniform.
WKU (2-5, 1-2 in C-USA) is back on the road, heading to Florida Atlantic (2-1, 2-1 in C-USA) for a 6pm ET kickoff on Stadium. Both teams’ strengths have been on the defensive side of the ball this fall. For the Hilltoppers’, their pass defense ranks second in C-USA, and for the Owls’, their run defense is second in the league and their sack average is second in the country.
Louisiana Tech (4-3, 3-2 in C-USA) renews its West Division rivalry with North Texas (2-3, 1-2 in C-USA) in a 6 pm game on CBS Sports Network. The Bulldogs playmaking defense has recorded eight interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns. This week they will face the Mean Green’s No. 2-ranked offense (593.6 yards per game).
The FIU at UTEP game, scheduled for this Saturday, has been cancelled.
WEEK TEN C-USA FOOTBALL PREVIEW
MASSACHUSETTS (0-1) at (15) MARSHALL (5-0, 3-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 7
2:30 p.m. ET
Huntington, West Virginia (Joan C. Edwards Stadium)
Television: ESPN+
Announcers: Mark Martin (PxP), Jake Griffith (AN)
All-Time Series: Marshall leads 1-0
Last Meeting: at Marshall 49, Massachusetts 20 (Sept. 8, 2001)
FAST FACTS
**Marshall (5-0, 3-0 in C-USA) climbed to 15th in the Amway Coaches Poll and 16th in the Associated Press Poll when each ranking was released Sunday. The Thundering Herd’s AP ranking is its highest since September 8, 2002. Marshall was scheduled to travel to FIU last Friday, but the Panthers postponed that game as they did not have enough available scholarship student-athletes as a result of quarantining of COVID-19 positive tests and contact tracing.
**Marshall ranks in the top five nationally in scoring defense (third-9.4 ppg, but second among teams with more than one game played), rushing defense (third-72.0 ypg), and total defense (fifth-265.0 ypg, but fourth among teams that have played more than one game). The Thundering Herd have not allowed an opponent to rush for 100 yards as a team through five games. Marshall is ranked sixth in opponent third down conversions (fifth among teams with more than one game), allowing just 17 conversions in 64 attempts (26.6%) this season. The Herd has 11 sacks in their last two games.
**Marshall junior RB Brenden Knox posted his fourth consecutive 100-yard game against Florida Atlantic on Oct. 24, gaining 101 yards on 25 carries, along with a 58-yard scoring reception in the 20-9 win over Florida Atlantic that snapped the Owls eight-game winning streak. Knox has now topped 100 yards in 14 of his 23 career games. In helping the Thundering Herd improve to 5-0, he is averaging 111.2 yards per game with seven rushing TDs and one receiving score. With 2,521 yards in 23 games, he ranks eighth on MU’s all-time list.
**Redshirt senior WR Artie Henry made his first career start vs. Florida Atlantic and responded by setting a new career-high with five catches and had 75 receiving yards. Henry caught a touchdown pass for the second consecutive week, this time reeling in a 41-yard reception from redshirt freshman QB Grant Wells in the third quarter that put the Herd in front to stay after they had briefly trailed for the first time this season.
**Senior LB Tavante Beckett had a game-high 13 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, a half sack and two quarterback hurries in Marshall’s 20-9 win over Florida Atlantic on Oct. 24. He led a Herd defense that allowed just 86 yards rushing to the Owls, the fifth consecutive opponent that has failed to exceed 100 rushing yards against Marshall as a team. Beckett is sixth in C-USA in tackles, averaging 9.4 per game, and has 4.5 tackles for loss.
**Junior DE Darius Hodge has at least one sack in four of five games this season and is second in Conference USA with 5.0 total. He has 20 total tackles and 6.0 TFLs.
NORTH ALABAMA (0-1,) at SOUTHERN MISS (1-5, 1-2 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 7
2 p.m. CT
Hattiesburg, Mississippi (M.M. Roberts Stadium)
Television: ESPN3
Announcers: Jason Baker (PxP), Dustin Almond (AN)
All-Time Series: First Meeting
FAST FACTS
**This will be the fifth home game out of seven played this season for Southern Miss.
**Southern Miss junior LB Santrell Latham has registered three sacks in the last two games and is now tied for fourth in Conference USA with 4.0 on the season.
**Senior K Briggs Bourgeois collected all the Golden Eagle points last week against Rice, connecting on two field goals from 45 and 26 yards. He has hit all three of his attempts this season from beyond 40 yards. He also has made his last three attempts.
**Southern Miss junior WR Jason Brownlee has seven pass receptions of 20 or more yards this season and has two of the team’s three longest receptions of 88 and 68 this season. He has 27 receptions for 450 yards and four touchdowns.
**Southern Miss has forced at least one turnover in each game and have generated nine total on the season. The Golden Eagles are currently a +1 in turnover margin, a dramatic improvement from last season when they forced 15 turnovers, but committed 26 (-11).
**Redshirt sophomore LB Hayes Maples has a team-high 53 tackles on the season, including 4.0 tackles for loss. His 9.3 tackles per game rank fifth in C-USA. At Liberty on Oct. 24, he had his first career sack and first career fumble recovery.
**This is the second of three games that North Alabama has scheduled this fall. The Lions are slated to finish their fall season on Nov. 21 at No. 11 BYU.
CHARLOTTE (2-3, 2-1 in C-USA) at MIDDLE TENNESSEE (2-5, 2-3 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 7
2:30 p.m. CT
Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Floyd Stadium)
Television: ESPN+
Announcers: Jake Rose (PxP), Jeremy Kellem (AN)
All-Time Series: Middle Tennessee leads 4-1
Last Meeting: at Charlotte 34, Middle Tennessee 20 (Nov. 2, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**The 49ers earned their first win in the series last year in Charlotte, scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions en route to a 34-20 win. Aaron McAllister rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns, while QB Chris Reynolds ran for a career-high 103 yards and a TD. Asher O’Hara threw two touchdowns and ran for 148 yards and another score.
**This will be Charlotte’s fifth road game this season, compared to just one home game.
**With 171 passing yards last week at Duke, junior QB Chris Reynolds now has 1,100 yards through the air this season. He is the first player in 49ers history to pass for over 1,000 yards in three straight seasons and has now passed for 4,837 yards in his career, 163 shy of becoming the second Charlotte player to pass for 5,000 career yards. Reynolds has six TD passes and 0 INTs in the last four games.
**Sophomore WR Micaleous Elder continues to make an impact on the Charlotte offense. Last week he had six receptions for 86 yards (his second game with 85 or more yards in the last three outings) and rushed for a five-yard touchdown, his second straight game with a rushing TD.
**Redshirt junior WR Victor Tucker has scored each of the last two weeks and now ranks third all-time in receiving touchdowns, one shy of second all-time (Trent Bostick, 12). He has caught at least one pass in 12 consecutive games and now has 1910 career receiving yards, 90 yards shy of becoming the second 49er in school history to reach 2,000 (Austin Duke)
**Senior S Ben DeLuca posted six tackles at Duke last week to matching the 49ers all-time record of 306, held by LB Jeff Gemmell. DeLuca’s is Charlotte’s all-time leader in forced fumbles with nine.
**Blue Raiders redshirt junior QB Asher O’Hara, who became the second QB in program history to rush for 1,000 yards last season, currently ranks second nationally in rushing yards among QBs with 476. He leads in C-USA in total offense, averaging 283.6 yards per game, with 11 passing touchdowns and six rushing scores. Through seven games, O’Hara has accounted for 76.5% (1,985) of the team’s total yards (2,594). O’Hara has 1,509 yards passing and 476 yards on the ground. In 2019,
**Senior WR Jarrin Pierce already has a team-high 46 receptions in eight games, surpassing his total of 42 from a year ago. His 46 grabs this year is tied for the C-USA lead and ranks fifth in the country entering this week. Pierce is second in C-USA and ranks 19th nationally in receptions per game with 6.6.
Senior receiver CJ Windham enjoyed the best game of his career in the win over Rice. Windham hauled in a career-high seven receptions for a personal-best 107 yards and a touchdown. It went down as the first 100-yard game of his career. Windham enters the Charlotte game with 23 receptions on the season which is just two shy of his career best of 25 set in 2017.
**Senior WR CJ Windham enjoyed the best game of his career in the win over Rice, hauling in a career-high seven receptions for a personal-best 107 yards and a touchdown. It went down as the first 100-yard game of his career. Windham enters the Charlotte game with 23 receptions on the season, which is just two shy of his career best of 25 set in 2017.
**Junior safety Gregory Grate continued his outstanding junior season with his team-leading third interception of the season in the first quarter against Rice. The three interceptions are also tied for the national lead. Grate also established a new career high for total tackles with 14 at Rice to extend his team high season total to 61.
**The Blue Raiders are giving up just 197.3 yards passing per game on the season to rank fourth in C-USA and 26th nationally.
**Freshman DB Jalen Jackson was honored as the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week after helping lead the Blue Raiders to a 40-34 overtime win at Rice on Oct. 24. Jackson, who recorded two tackles and a pass breakup on the defensive side of the ball, came around the left side to block Rice’s go-ahead field goal attempt in the Owls’ possession of the second overtime. It was the first blocked kick for the Blue Raiders this season and the block allowed Middle Tennessee to win on a score of any kind on the ensuing possession.
UTSA (4-4, 2-2 in C-USA) at RICE (1-1, 1-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 7
2:30 p.m. CT
Houston, Texas (Rice Stadium)
Television: ESPN3
Announcers: David Saltzman (PxP), Taylor McHargue (AN)All-Time Series: UTSA leads 5-3
Last Meeting: at UTSA 31, Rice 27 (Oct. 19, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**UTSA has won five straight in the series, including last year’s 31-27 triumph in San Antonio. The Roadrunners scored 24 points in the second half, and QB Lowell Narcisse completed 19 of 29 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns. Aston Walter ran for 109 yards and a touchdown, while Bradley Rozner caught nine passes for 108 yards and a TD for Rice.
**UTSA tied a school record with 14 tackles for loss last Saturday at Florida Atlantic, led by graduate transfer LB Charles Wiley‘s 3.5 TFL. The Roadrunners lead C-USA and rank 12th nationally with 8.4 TFL/game, and they stand 2nd in the FBS with 67 total TFL.
**The UTSA defense has emerged as one of the best units in the nation when it comes to forcing turnovers. The Roadrunners have come up with 13 total takeaways through eight games, which leads Conference USA and stands fourth nationally. Eight of those turnovers have come in the form of an interception, including two apiece by junior CB Corey Mayfield Jr. and sophomore S Rashad Wisdom. UTSA’s eight picks pace C-USA and rank eighth in the FBS, while Mayfield Jr. and Wisdom are tied for third in the league and 20th in the country in INTs.
**UTSA sophomore S Rashad Wisdom posted a game-high 13 tackles at Florida Atlantic last week, his 3rd double-digit total of the season. He now has 63 total tackles this fall to rank 3rd in C-USA and 6th among all FBS players.
**Senior Hunter Duplessis leads all FBS kickers with 15 field goals in 2020, the third-best single-season total in UTSA history. The senior leads C-USA and ranks 10th nationally in field goals per game (1.9) and he also paces the league in field goal percentage (.938).
**Roadrunners sophomore Lucas Dean is averaging 46.3 yards per punt, which leads C-USA and ranks 5th among all FBS punters. The Australian native averaged 47.9 yards at Florida Atlantic last week and had a career-long 67-yarder, the second-longest punt in UTSA history.
**Rice’s 30-6 victory over Southern Miss was the Owls’ first win by 20 or more points since a 44-24 victory over UTEP on Nov. 19, 2016.
**Rice has scored 30 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time since closing the 2014 season by scoring more than 30 in the final three games, including a victory in the Hawai’i Bowl.
**Rice senior WR Austin Trammell is one of five offensive standouts from around the nation who were named to the Paul Hornung Award Weekly Honor roll on Nov. 2. Trammell set career highs with three touchdown receptions and 143 receiving yards to lead Rice to a 30-6 win at Southern Miss as the Owls snapped a five-game losing streak vs. Southern Miss. He extended his reception streak to 29 games (tied for the fourth longest active streak in the nation) with a six-yard completion in the second quarter, his shortest reception of the afternoon. He reached the end zone for the first time on a 72-yard catch and run, the longest pass play for the Owls since 2014 and added scoring grabs of 13 and 14 yards later in the game. After being shutout in the first half of the season opener vs. Middle Tennessee, Trammell has 10 receptions for 219 yards and five TDs in his last six quarters. He is the first receiver in school history to have five touchdown catches in the first two games of a season and the first to have five in a two-game stretch since James Casey and Jarett Dillard in 2008.
**Before its season opener on Oct. 24, a Rice quarterback had not thrown four touchdown passes in a game since the 2016 season opener. Mike Collins, a graduate transfer from TCU, has now done it in his first two games as an Owl. Last Saturday at Southern Miss, he finished 12-of-17 for 233 yards and four TDs. After just two games, Collins is tied for third in C-USA with eight TD passes. He is the first player in Rice history to throw eight touchdowns in the first two games of the season.
**Owls redshirt sophomore RB Juma Otoviano rushed 24 times for 107 yards last week at Southern Miss. It was his second career 100-yard rushing game.
WKU (2-5, 1-2 in C-USA) at FLORIDA ATLANTIC (2-1, 2-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 7
6 p.m. ET
Boca Raton, Florida (FAU Stadium)
Television: Stadium
Announcers: Chris Hassel (PxP), A.J. Hawk (AN)
All-Time Series: Florida Atlantic leads 8-3
Last Meeting: Florida Atlantic 35, at WKU 24 (Nov. 2, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**Last year in Bowling Green, WKU led 14-0 midway through the second quarter before FAU scored 28 points in 10 minutes of game clock to take control and win 35-24. Owls LB Akileis Leroy recorded a new career high of 12 tackles, including two sacks, and had a pass breakup and a forced fumble that was returned for a touchdown.
**Senior cornerback Dionté Ruffin recorded his first career interception on Saturday night, breaking BYU QB Zach Wilson’s all-time program-record streak of 184 consecutive passes without an interception. Ruffin returned the interception for 28 yards, deep into the red zone leading to a touchdown on the following play for the first points scored on BYU off a turnover this season. A starter for 20 straight games, Ruffin leads C-USA with seven pass breakups this season. Ruffin has played in 43 games for the Hilltoppers in his career, recording 69 total tackles and 20 pass breakups.
**WKU’s pass defense is second in C-USA and 20th in the FBS in pass defense, allowing 190.0 yards per game through the air. The Hilltoppers lead the league with 38 passes defended (seven more than any other C-USA school) and ranked fourth nationally in that category.
**Graduate transfer QB Tyrrell Pigrome completed 19-of-30 attempts for 106 pass yard with one touchdown pass at BYU. He has 143 pass attempts this season without an interception, the fourth-longest streak in the nation.
**Senior RB Gaej Walker, junior RB Jakairi Moses and junior RB C.J. Jones combined for 28 carries for 135 yards (4.8 yards per carry), with none of their attempts going for negative yardage. Walker has rushed for 163 yards over the past two games. WKU’s 156 rush yards as a team were the most allowed by BYU this season.
**Florida Atlantic has allowed three passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown for four total touchdowns over its first three games. That total is the fewest among C-USA teams with three-plus games played.
**FAU is allowing 0.3 rushing touchdowns per game, tied for the second lowest (BYU, Army) nationally among teams with three-plus games played
**With 13 sacks in its first three games, Florida Atlantic is averaging 4.33 sacks per game to lead C-USA and rank second nationally. Redshirt sophomore DE Jaylen Joyner had three sacks against UTSA last Saturday and is tied for second in the league with four along with Owls senior DE Leighton McCarthy.
**Last Saturday vs. UTSA, sophomore DE Jaylen Joyner posted five tackles, three of which were sacks for a loss of 19 yards and two quarterback hurries. His first two tackles of the day came on UTSA’s first drive after short gains. After that, it was all in the backfield. With the Owls holding a 10-3 lead in the second quarter, Joyner ended UTSA’s efforts on 3rd-and-6 from the FAU 48 with a sack for a loss of four yards. In the closing seconds of the first half, Joyner recorded a sack for a loss of nine yards on a play that started at 3rd-and-10 on the FAU 14. The sack ended the first half and sent FAU into the locker room up, 17-3. Joyner would record his final sack of the game, six-yard loss, giving the offense the ball back with 3:38 to play and a 24-3 lead.
**Junior RB Malcolm Davidson drew the start versus UTSA last Saturday and was given the ball 14 times which he used to tally a game-high 115 yards for an average of 8.2 yards per carry. His longest rush of the day was 30 yards and he also added a 14-yard reception. On the season, Davidson is averaging 7.5 yards per carry, seventh nationally among rushers with 20-plus carries.
LOUISIANA TECH (4-3, 3-2 in C-USA) at NORTH TEXAS (2-3, 1-2 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 7
6 p.m. CT
Denton, Texas (Apogee Stadium)
Television: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Dave Ryan (PxP), Corey Chavous (AN)
All-Time Series: Louisiana Tech leads 12-7
Last Meeting: at Louisiana Tech 52, North Texas 17 (Nov. 23, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**Louisiana Tech rolled up 542 yards of total offense and had five rushing touchdowns in last year’s meeting in Ruston, winning 52-17. RB Justin Henderson ran for two scores and QB J’Mar Smith had 307 total yards and one passing TD. Tre Siggers ran for 77 yards and a TD for the Mean Green.
**After coming off the bench to complete 18-of-26 passes for a career-high 191 yards and two touchdown passes to lead Louisiana Tech to a 37-34 comeback victory over UAB in double overtime, Bulldogs sophomore QB Aaron Allen was voted the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week. Allen threw a 30-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it a one possession game and tied it by leading the Bulldogs on a 13-play, 90-yard drive that ended with a 24-yard TD pass to senior WR Adrian Hardy with 10 seconds left in regulation. Allen remained at quarterback through both overtime periods where he helped set up K Jacob Barnes for a 36-yard and a 35-yard field goal to secure the win.
**Senior WR Adrian Hardy recorded the second two-touchdown performance of his career in Saturday’s victory over UAB, catching seven passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. He has now recorded more than 100 receiving yards in two of the past three games and has eight games with over 100 receiving yards in his career. With Hardy’s two touchdown receptions, the Bulldogs now have six skill players who have recorded multiple touchdowns in a single game.
**Redshirt freshman WR Jawuan Johnson’s 30-yard touchdown reception vs. UAB was the longest TD catch of his career. He set a new career high in catches (six) and receiving yards (73) vs. the Blazers.
**Sophomore DB Bee Jay Williamson was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Williamson recorded 10 tackles and intercepted a career-best two passes against UAB, returning the first one for 79 yards. Williamson’s second interception came in the second quarter where he gained two yards before he lateraled the ball to DB Khalil Ladler who then ran it for an 81-yard touchdown. He also had a crucial pass breakup on a UAB third down play late in the fourth quarter to force a punt and set up a game-tying TD drive. In the second overtime period, Williamson forced a fumble at the goal line that was then recovered by LA Tech to set up the game-winning field goal.
**Redshirt freshman K Jacob Barnes earned his second C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week award this season following the win over UAB. He made three field goals, including one in each overtime period, hitting a 35-yarder to secure the win in double-overtime. Barnes was perfect in extra point attempts against the Blazers, making all four point after kicks to remain perfect in PATs this season. He also punted the ball six times for an average of 42.5 yards, including a career-long 53 yard punt, and placed three punts inside the UAB 20.
**Sophomore QB Jason Bean was the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose National Player of the Week following the 52-35 win at Middle Tennessee on Oct. 17. Bean entered the game with the Mean Green down 21-7 early in the second quarter and accounted for 350 total yards and five touchdowns in a little under three quarters. He completed 12-of-17 passes for 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions, while rushing 10 times for a career-high 169 yards and three scores as the Mean Green outscored the Blue Raiders 45-14 with Bean in the game. The 350 yards accounted for 46% of North Texas’ total of 768 yards, a new program record, and also the second-highest offensive output in college football this season.
**North Texas senior WR Jaelon Darden leads the FBS in receiving touchdowns (10), is fifth in receptions (46), and seventh in receiving yards (489). In the win at Middle Tennessee on Oct. 17, he posted his second straight 200+-yard receiving game, grabbing 10 passes for 204 yards and a TD. Darden’s 10 catches puts him at 202 for his career and into second place on the program’s all-time receptions list.
**UNT had three 100-yard rushers against Middle Tennessee in redshirt sophomore QB Jason Bean (169), senior RB Deandre Torrey (143) and redshirt junior RB Tre Siggers (101). Bean’s 169 yards were the fifth-most by a QB in C-USA history.
**In the 52-35 win at Middle Tennessee, on Oct. 17 North Texas finished the game with a program-record 768 total yards, producing 407 yards in the first half alone. It was the second time this season the Mean Green have set this mark (721 in the season-opening win over Houston Baptist). The Mean Green rushed for 462 yards and threw for 306, marking the second time ever they have rushed and passed for 300 yards in a game, matching the effort from the Houston Baptist win on Sept. 5. The 768 yards were the third-highest total in C-USA history and moved North Texas to second in the FBS in total offense with an average of 593.2 yards per game.
**Senior S Makyle Sanders recorded a team and career-high 11 tackles (10 solo) in the win at Middle Tennessee. After falling behind 21-7 early, the North Texas defense came up big on several occasions, holding the Blue Raiders to only seven points in the second half. Sanders has 19 of his 28 tackles on the season during the last two games.
